Practice means for shooting of moving objects



@MM num Q l INVENTOR. .Lf-nes L. /oanj/wsanc/ `BY fda@ /g 7h ATTORNEY.

J. L. 4YouNGHus'BAND Filed Jan. l0, 1938 lIRAG'IICE MEANS FOR SHOOTING OF MOVING OBJECTS Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRACTICE MEANS FOR SHOOTING F 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a practice means for shooting moving objects and particularly for skeet or trap shooting.

Skeet and trap shooting are popular outdoor sports. For illustration, when clay pigeons are used as moving targets they are thrown in an arc and as a test of skill are shot at by the shooter from a number of desired positions. One of the positions is adjacent the trap at the beginning of the arc. Other positions are located intermediate and through different points to and including a place adjacent the end of the arc. Because the clay pigeon is a moving and not a stationary object, it is necessary that the shooter allow for the time that it takes for the shot to reach a given spot after the trigger of the gun has been pressed.

Because of inclement weather and other reasons there are periods of the year when skeet shooting cannot be enjoyed. The normal Skeet shooter, being enthusiastic about the sport, is ordinarily desirous of keeping in practice.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide means whereby the skeet or trap shooter may practice at his favorite sport at any time in doors, and with his own gun unfettered by attachments and extraneous apparatus; to create a practice device which will provide substantially the same or proportionate lapse of time between the shot and the position of the obj ect to be shot in actual trap or skeet shooting so as to afford the user actual practice; to create means whereby the user may see his errors and correct the same; to provide a light throwing device adapted to simulate the arc of travel of a thrown clay pigeon, and such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawing preferred embodiments of my invention, yet I wish it understood that the same are susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my gun equipped for practice in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view of one embodiment of my timing mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detailed view of my lighting mechanism; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of my light throwing device and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical View of a skeet ground.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a gun I0, having a trigger II adapted upon pressure to actuate a hammer I2, and irfturn a ring pin I3. In the inner end or chamber I4 of the barrel I5 of the gun I0 is removably placed a timing mechanism I6. In the outer end or muzzle I1 of the barrel I 5 of the gun I0 is removably placed an electric light bulb I8 held in a socket I9 and in front of a reector 20. Wires 2|, suitably insulated, lead from the socket I9 in the barrel I5 to electric batteries 22 of the storage type. Wires 23, suitably insulated, lead backwardly in the barrel from the batteries 22 to the timing mechanism I6.

The timing mechanism I 6 has a casing 24 and at `its inner end a contact point 25 adapted to receive the ring pin I3 upon the user pressing the trigger I I, The timing mechanism is so constructed that it will delay the lighting of light bulb I8 until a sufficient period of time, substantially equal to the time required for the passage of a real discharge of actual shot from the gun to a desired spot, has elapsed. Upon the expiration of this period of time, the timing device will act to light the bulb I8 and cast a ray of light 26.

An illustrative embodiment of my timing mechanism I6 provides my contact point 25 as integral with piston like member 2l. A fixed member 28 is attached to the inner walls of the casing 24 forming a chamber 29 between the members 28 and 21. A resilient member 30, of the compression spring type, has opposite portions contacting members 2l and 28. Said xed member 28 has an opening 3|. Spaced from fixed member 28 and at the opposite end of chamber 32 is a floating member 33. Upon pressure by the firing pin I3 on contact point 25, piston like member 21 moves against resilient member 30 and causes fluid in chamber 29 to pass through opening 3l into `chamber 32 and move oating member 33 against the ends of Wires 23 to actuate the batteries 22 to light bulb I8 to flash a ray of light 26. Upon release of the ring pin I3, pressure is released on piston like member 21, and in turn the resilient member 3|). The resilient member then creates a suction in chamber 29 which in turn creates a suction in chamber 32 to draw the uid back into chamber 29 thereby causing floating member 33 to draw away from contact with the ends of wires 23 and causing the light to go out.

To provide a moving target to simulate a thrown clay pigeon I have a light throwing device 34 vcomprising a support 35 upon which is suitably positioned a motor 36 and an attached speed 50 arrester 31. Said motor moves a rotating member 38 to which is attached an arm 39. The arm 39 at its other end is slidably attached to a rod 4I) which is attached to a container 4I housing in the front end an electric bulb 42 in front of a reflector Il 43 and a source of electrical supply such as dry storage batteries 44.

In use, it will be noted that no special kind of gun is needed with my practice means. The user has the great advantage of practicing With his own gun to which he has previously become accustomed and with which he is capable of his best efforts. The gun is absolutely unfettered with extraneous wires, attachments or apparatus, so that the user is free during practice from all physical and psychological hindrances. The light ray producing means and the timing device are removable, t within the barrel of the gun by friction or other suitable expedients and may be made of standard sizes to fit Within all ordinary guns.

Heretofore, the practice devices have produced a beamV of light immediately upon pressure of the operating means. This might be suitable for aiming at stationary objects but is of no use when movable objects are to be hit. In shooting a moving object the user must calculate and allow for a period of time that elapses between the time of pulling of the trigger and the moment when the shot reaches the desired object.` Practice without this time allowance is worse than no practice at all because it will tend to destroy the users sense of timing. With my device, my timing mechanism preserves for practice substantially the same time allowance for the ray of light that the shot in actual shooting requires, Actual practice is thus provided for the user, and his sense of timing sharpened.

In actual skeet or trap shooting, when a shooter misses a Shot-he has no way of ascertaining Whether he shot over, under or to the side of the object. With my practice means the user can see for himself just Where his shot of light has gone and in what manner he missed the objectwhether his aim was too high, too low or too Wide. The user can, with such knowledge of his error of aiming, practice to correct the same.

My light timing device simulates the arc travelled by a thrown Skeet and completes the genuineness of my practice means for the Skeet shooter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a gun, means for producing a ray of light removably fitted within the muzzle of the gun, a timing device removably iitted Within the loading chamber of the gun, means connecting said timing device with said light ray producing means, Said timing device comprising a casing, a contact point positioned at the inner end of said casing to receive the ring pin of the trigger of the gun, a piston *i 'para member integral with said contact point, a xed member attached lto the inner Walls of said casing and dividing the same into inner and outer chambers, said fixed member having an opening, a compression spring positioned in the inner chamber with opposite ends contacting said piston member and said fixed member, a floating member within the outer chamber, the inner ends of the connecting means With the light ray producing means extending slightly Within the outer chamber, said piston member adapted upon pressure from the ring pin of the gun on the contact point to move against the compression spring and cause fluid in the inner chamber to pass through the opening in the xed member to the outer chamber and move the oating member against the inner ends of the connecting means to cause a ash of light at substantially the elapsed time after the trigger of the gun had been pressed that an actual shot would have reached a desired moving object, said piston member having lost pressure upon the release of the firing pin releases in turn pressure on the compression spring causing the compression spring to create a suction in the inner chamber and in turn a suction in the outer chamber thereby drawing fluid from the outer chamber through the opening of the fixed member into the inner chamber and floating the oating member away from contact with the ends of the light connecting means and causing the light to go out.

2. In combination with a gun, means for producing a ray of light removably iitted within the muzzle of the gun, a timing device removably fitted within the loading chamber of the gun, means connecting said timing device with said lightray producing means, said timing device comprising a casing, a contact point positioned at the inner end of said casing to receive the ring pin of the trigger of the gun, a piston member integral with said contact point, force exerting means within said casing, a movable member within said casing adjacent said connecting means, said piston member adapted upon pressure from the firing pin of the gun on the contact point to actuate said force exerting meansy so as to move said movable member against the connecting means to cause a flash of light, said piston member adapted upon release of pressure upon the firing pin to cease actuating said force exerting means and permit the movable member to move away from Contact with said connecting means and causing the light to go out.

JAMES L. YOUNGHUSBAND. 

